REVIEW: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2×10 “What They Become”

For a mid-season finale, I have to say that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s “What They Become” was pretty underwhelming. I mean, the premise itself was interesting, and it had the potential to be a really entertaining hour, but it ultimately fell flat except for the final few minutes of the episode. (spoilers ahead!)

The central point of the episode was Skye finally coming face-to-face with her father. Yes, after one-and-a-half seasons, we get a little bit of closure on Skye’s backstory. Unfortunately, everything that Mr. Skye told his daughter was stuff that we as the viewers knew already: the Doctor met his wife, Whitehall killed his wife, Skye was abandoned, etc. I was hoping for something bigger in tonight’s episode; at the very least a mention of the Kree. But instead we just get more teasing.

The rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents go on a rescue mission to save Skye. I was a little excited to see this part of the episode unroll because I thought we would be treated to the trademark ass-kicking ventures of Agents May and Bobbi Morse. But we only Coulson gets a semi-decent fight scene in, which didn’t do much to improve the pace or tone of the episode.

There is one scene where Mr. Skye (I know his name’s not Mr. Skye, but the character has become so one-dimensional that I hardly care for his real name) and Skye turn against Whitehall, and lo and behold, Ward betrays HYDRA and decides to help the good guys! So, is Ward actually a hero now? He killed his brother, but we can sweep that under the rug, right? Wait, no, nevermind. Skye actually shoots Ward during her escape and refers to him as the enemy. The last time we see Ward in the episode is when he’s making a nefarious deal with Agent 33. I can’t make heads or tails of what’s going on with that guy. I just stopped caring about him.

The end of the episode is where things finally got interesting, but it also raised a ton of questions. Skye confronts Raina in the underground city with the obelisk. After putting it into position, the obelisk activates, locking the two women in a small chamber along with Agent Trip. The power of the obelisk causes Skye and Raina to be encased in stone. Trip knocks the obelisk away, shattering it, but also sacrifices his life as a shard penetrates his body and turns him into stone. Skye breaks free from her rocky shell as a sort of power radiates from her body and causes the entire city to quake.

As the episode comes to a close, we see a man in his study with yet another obelisk, which seems to be glowing. He’s on the phone with someone, and as he turns around, it is revealed that he has no eyes.

So what does all this mean?

Let’s start with the obvious – Skye is definitely an Inhuman, as proven when her own father called her Daisy. Speaking of her father, he is more than likely Calvin Zabo or Mister Hyde, though this is still up for speculation because they never outright say it. The no-eyed man at the end is possibly Videmus or Reader, both of which are fairly minor characters in Marvel, but still worthy of mention, especially in regards to the Inhumans storyline.

Raina is possibly Heather Douglas, or Moondragon. It’s worth noting that Moondragon was part of the Infinity Watch, a special task-force of super-beings and warriors who were entrusted to watch over the Infinity Gauntlet. I’d love to talk more about how that whole storyline ties into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but maybe some other time.

As you can tell, the main highlight of the episode was the fact that it confirmed Skye’s ties to the Inhumans. That’s what the entire show has become for me: just a small glimpse into the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. My interest has slowly decreased over the season and this finale did not help. Is the rest of Season 2 going to be the same?

For now, we just have to wait until Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D returns. In the meantime, I’d recommend watching Agent Carter, which is set to premier on January 6th, 2015, and will offer more insight into the earlier days of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Final Grade: C +

+ It was refreshing to hear Skye being called “Daisy”.

+ The ending clip with the no-eyed man and his obelisk was interesting.

+ The special effects in the episode were well-done; I loved watching the obelisk’s effects on Trip, Skye, and Raina.

– Whitehall’s death was pretty anticlimactic.

– Overall, the episode wasn’t too engaging.

Extra Thought:

– Kyle MacLachlan‘s role has been evolving throughout Season 2. It’s possible that he could become a much more prominent character as the Inhumans plot grows. However, MacLachlan may be devoting his time to the Twin Peaks revival that is due out within the next year or two, so maybe his character will be killed off early?

What were your thoughts on the mid-season finale? Do you think the show jumped the shark yet? Sound off in the comments or gives us a shout on Twitter!

About the author

Alex Reale

From a young age, Alex knew he was destined to be a writer. He also harbored a deep infatuation with superheroes and comics. Luckily, he was able to combine these two passions through his role with A Place to Hang Your Cape, where he works as Junior Sidekick and Social Media Hero.

When he’s not writing for AP2HYC or working full-time as a content manager for a small business website, Alex is diligently at work on other creative projects including a fantasy novel collection and an independent comic series.